Foldable box.



J. NEMETH.

POLDABLE BOX. APPLICATION FILED JULY B, 1913.

1,089,580, Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. 6'

srarns PATEFW JOSEPH NEMETI-I, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FOLIDABLE BOX.

ineaaeo.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, Josnrnr NnMnrH, a subject of Francis Joseph, Emperor of Austria and Apostolic King of Hungary, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foldable Boxes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view of my new foldable box in fully open or unfolded conditionwith its cover or lid inclosed position Fig. 2 is a top plan view of my new box in fully open or unfolded condition with its cover or lid in open position; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of my new box in folded condition; Fig. iis an inverted or bottom plan view of my new box in folded condition; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of my new box in partly folded or unfolded condition; Fig. (3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of my new box, showing one of the bolts and its associate members for releasably locking the walls of the box in fully open or unfolded condition; Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on the line 7 7, Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 is a similar view on the line 88, Fig. 6.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in foldable boxes and the like, the objects of my present invention being to provide a box or the like of the kind stated which may be cheaply and economically manufactured, which may be readily, quickly, and easily brought from folded to unfolded or from unfolded to folded condition, which, when folded, is compact and occupies relatively small space, which, when unfolded, presents a strong, substantial receptacle for shipping or other desirable purposes, and in which the several walls are conveniently and positively releasably locked together in fully open or unfolded condition, and to improve generally upon articles of the kind described.

With the above and other objects in View, my present invention resides in certain novel features of construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, all as will hereinafter be described and afterward pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, 1, 2, 33 indicate preferably rectangular flat members which are adapted to form, respec- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 9, 1913.

Patented Mar, it), 1914;.

Serial No. "(78,056.

tively, the front, rear, and side walls of my new box. These walls 1, 2, 3, and 3, which may be of any suitable material and which collectively comprise body-portion A of the box, are so hingedly connected or fastened together at their opposite side edges by means preferably of a plurality of suitable strap-and-pintle hinges 4 4 having their strap-portions fixed upon the inner surfaces of said walls, as shown, that when in unfolded condition body A will assume the shape of an open-ended rectangular casin as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and when in folded condition body A will assume a flat compact shape such as shown in Figs. 3 and d.

As shown particularly in Fig. 2, while hinges 4 are preferably completely within body A, the adjacent edges of front wall 1 and side wall 3 and also the adjacent edges of side wall 3 and rear wall 2 are preferably cut away and the strap-portions of hinges l slightly bent outwardly, so as to project the pintle-portions of said hinges 1 between the side edges of said walls and preferably exteriorly of body A, so that, when folded, walls 1, 2, 3, and 3 will lie or extend closely flatwise together, as shown, side wall 3 lying or extending in substantially the same plane with, and being in effect a hinged extension of, front wall 1 and side wall 3 lying or extending substantially in the same plane with, and being in effect a hinged extension of, rear wall 2. It will also be seen in Figs. 1 and 2 that, when body A is in fully open or unfolded condition, side walls 3-3 set within front and rear walls 1 and 2, said side walls 33 having their side edges abutting against the inner surfaces of front wall 1 and rear wall 2 adjacent their opposite side edges.

Hinged, as by means preferably of spring hinges or the like 5, to the lower end offront wall 1 is a base or bottom wall B of such size and area as to completely under lie, and close the lower open end of, body A when. the same is fully open or unfolded, as shown is Figs. 1 and 2; and hinged, as by means of hinges 6, to the upper end of rear wall 2 is a cover or lid C also of such size and area as to completely overlie, and close the upper open end of, body it when the same is fully open or unfolded, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fixed on the inner surface of base wall B along its free side opposite said hinges 5,

are members 7-7' provided with upstanding staples or the like 8-S adapted, when body A is unfolded or in fully open condi tion, to receive and project through slotted flat plate portions 99 preferably integrally forming part of, and projecting at right angles from, fiat members 1010 fixed fiatwise upon the inner surface of rear wall 2 at its lower end and in operative position relatively to said members 'L F. Over said slotted members 9-9 staples 9--8 are adapted to receive spring-actuated bolts 1111 lengthwise oppositely slidable in suitable preferably cylindrical housings 1212 also preferably integrally forming part of said members 10-10. These housings 1212 are each longitudinally slotted or cut away at their upper portions, as at 13, and movable in said slots 1313 are a studs or knobs 1 1 1 1 inte ral res )ectivelv,

c a l t with bolts 11l1. Continuously with said slotted or cut away portions 13, said housings 1212 are also each cut away downwardly to provide in each a recess, as at 15, with the walls of which said studs or knobs 14l-1l are adapted to engage to hold their said respective bolts 1111 in retracted position with their compelling springs 11 compressed, bolts '11-11 being also rotatably movable in their said housings 12-12. Integral with said member 7 is an upstanding portion 16 in operative position relatively to recess of housing 12, for purposes hereinafter appearing, when body A. is unfolded and in fully open condition.

VAs shown in Fig.1, lid or cover C at its forward or free end is provided with a double-hinged hasp member 17 adapted, when body A is unfolded and fully open, to

- engage and cooperate with a staple member 18 fixed on front wall 1 to lock lid C in box-closing position, as shown in Fig. 1, and, when body A is folded and collapsed, to engage and cooperate with a staple or 'I hook 23 fixed on side wall 3 to releasably hold lid C and the walls of body A flatwise together, as shown in Fig. 4.

Presuming body A to be in fully open or unfolded condition with base wall B and cover C closing the open ends thereof and with said bolts 111l engaging their cooperating staples 8 over said slotted members 9, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to now unfold the box, lid C is first thrown to open position, as shown in Fig. 2. Bolt 11 is then, by means of its stud 14, slidably disengaged from its cooperating staple 8, after which, bolt 11 being rotatably moved in its housing 12, its said stud 14 is engaged with said housing-recess 15 and bolt 11 thereby releasably looked in retracted position. Bolt 11 is now, by means of its stud 14, slidably moved out of engagement with its cooperating staple 8, after which base B is pivotally swung on its hinges 5 outwardly and forwardly and then upwardly so as to extend fiatwise upon or relatively to the outer surface of front wall 1, as shown in Fig. t. Bolt 11 is now rotatably moved in its housing 12 and, by the engagement of its stud 1a with its housing-recess 15, also releasably locked in retracted position. Front wall 1 being now relatively stationary, side walls 33 are laterally swung to the left, side wall 8 then occupying substantially the same plane as, and being in effect a hinged extension of, front wall 1, and side wall 3 being brought flatwise upon the inner surface of front wall 1, as shown in Fig. 3. 0n the lateral movement of said side walls 3+3, rear wall 2 is simultaneously moved obliquely forwardly into position closely flatwise upon the inner surface of side wall 3 and partly upon the inner surface of front wall 1, as also shown in Fig. 8. Hasp member 17 is now operatively engaged with said hook 23, and a chain or the like 22 fixed at one end on the inner surface of cover C is brought at its free end into engagement with staple 8 of member 7, whereupon body A, base B, and cover C are releasably held in folded, compact condition, said body A, base B, and cover C occupying, when so folded, a comparatively very small space.

To now unfold the box to fully open condition, hasp member 17 is disengaged from said hook 23 and chain 22 is disengaged from said staple 8, whereupon base B, under the compression of its said spring hinges 5, will swing downwardly and rearwardly. Back wall 2 is then obliquely moved rearwardly into position to bring its said slotted plate members 9 flatwise upon said staples 8, side walls 3 and 3 being simultaneously swung laterally to the right and into their fully open position, as shown in Fig. 2. By means of said upstanding member 16 on said member or plate 7, said stud 14': of bolt 11 is now automatically forced or rocked out of engagement with its cooperating recess 15, whereupon, under the compre sion of its spring 11, bolt 11 will be slidably forced or moved into engagement with its cooperating staple 8 over one of said slotted members 9. Stud 14 of bolt 11 is now, either directly or by means of a sharp blow on the under surface of base B, manually disengaged from its cooperating recess 15, and bolt 11 then similarly forced into engagement with its cooperating staple 8 over the other of said slotted members 9, whereupon the walls of body A and base B will be releasably locked and firmly held in fully open or unfolded condition, the box being ready to receive its contents. By engaging the free end of chain 22 with a small eye or the like at fixed on the upper edge of side wall 3, cover C may be held in partly closed or upright position while the box is receiving or displaying its contents. EX- teriorly base l is preferably provided with suitable.strengthening cleats or the like 20, adapted also to elevate body A and base b slightly above the plane of their supportingsurface, and interiorly 1 preferably provide angular members 19-19 at the base of front and rear walls 1 and 2 to interiorly strengthen said walls and base B.

In order that the box when fully open or unfolded may be easily and conveniently handled, side walls 33 are preferably provided with suitable handles 21, and in. F 2 l: have shown within body A a flexible egg-crate E, my new box being especially designed for the purpose of shipping eggs and the like to market.

lit will be seen that my new box fulfils in every respect the objects hereinbefore stated, and it is to be understood that minor changes in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my new box may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. in a foldable box, a body comprising a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls, said walls being hingedly fastened together at their side edges and foldable simultaneously from folded flatwise relation to each other to unfolded rectangular relation to each other or from unfolded rectangular relation to each other to folded flatwise relation to each other, a base wall hingedly fastened to said body and adapted to completely underlie the same when unfolded and to fold flatwise thereupon when folded, a staple-member fixed on said base wall, a springactuated bolt slidable on said body adapted to engage with said staplemember when said body and base wall are in unfolded condition and relation to each other, means adapted to releasably hold said bolt in retracted position, and means adapted to automatically release said bolt to engage said staple-member, under the compression of its said spring, on said body and base wall being brought into unfolded condition and relation to each other; substantially as described.

2. In a foldable box, a body comprising a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls, said walls being hingedly fastened together at their side edges and foldable simultaneously from folded flatwise relation to each other to unfolded rectangular relation to each other or from unfolded rectangular relation to each other to folded flatwise relation to each other, a base wall hingedly fastened to said body and adapted to completely underlie the same when unfolded and to fold flatwise thereupon when folded, a staple-member fixed on said base wall, a recessed housing fixed on said body, a bolt slidable in said housing adapted to engage with said staple when said body and base wall are in unfolded condition and re lation to each other, a coiled spring in said housing adapted to be compressed when said bolt is in retracted position, a stud on said bolt adapted to releasably engage with said housing to hold said bolt in retracted position against the pressure of said spring, and a member on said base wall adapted to automatically release said stud from ongagement with said housing to permit said spring to actuate said bolt to engage said staple-member on said base wall and body being brought into unfolded condition and relation to each other; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH NEMETH. lVitnesses JosnrI-r HANNA, Gnoncn C. EIOIIBAUM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of latents, Washington, D. G. 

